RE: Xylene expiration date.

From:

Jim at ProSciTech <jim@proscitech.com>

Petrol (gasoline) contains additives and there is some separation during long
term storage. Xylene, however, is a stable chemical molecule and I rather doubt
that this falls apart in any way during reasonable storage conditions. I am
rather surprized that they give it an expiry date. I expect that the "bottler"
thought it was a good idea; perhaps it would cause people to throw out old and
buy new solvents.
I am amused that you are reluctant to take a whiff (not that this would tell
you much). Not many years ago histologists virtually lived in xylene vapour
saturated labs. Certainly its not conducive to good health, but the problem was
not the odd whiff but chronic exposure.
Happy New Year
Jim Darley
ProSciTech Microscopy PLUS
PO Box 111, Thuringowa QLD 4817 Australia
Ph +61 7 4774 0370 Fax:+61 7 4789 2313 service@proscitech.com
Great microscopy catalogue, 500 Links, MSDS, User Notes
ABN: 99 724 136 560 www.proscitech.com
On Saturday, December 30, 2000 1:11 AM, mosborne@unmc.edu
[SMTP:mosborne@unmc.edu] wrote:
> Hello in histoland, I have 5 gallons of xylene dumped on me from a lab
> here in Anatomy, date of expiration is 4/94, is this still good to use? I
> don't want to stick my nose into it. Thanks, Marianne in Omaha,Ne. Happy
> New Year.
>